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Quiz Session - Attempts With Random Questions

ASQ CSSBB Exam Questions

Page 9 of 33

161.

Is it possible to reject an alternative hypothesis (HA)?

  • No, because statistics are geared to test Ho.

  • No, because this would increase Type I error.

  • Yes, because HA is just as valid as Ho.

  • Yes, because statistics are geared to test HA.

Correct answer: No, because statistics are geared to test Ho. 

An alternative hypothesis (HA) is simply the converse of the null hypothesis (Ho). Statistical tests are generally written to test the null hypothesis, such that the parameter being tested is statistically not different between two or more populations. A common mistake by novice six sigma students is to write the null hypothesis as the HA, or alternative hypothesis statement. If the null hypothesis cannot be supported because the statistical test indicates there are statistically significant differences between populations, the alternative hypothesis is thusly supported. 

Population size should be calculated through the appropriate statistical method to ensure to avoid type I or II errors.  Confidence level is normally set at  95%, which traditionally minimizes Type I error, or rejecting the null hypothesis when in fact, it was true.

162.

In order to sustain an optimum Lean system, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) must produce what result?

  • Equipment operating within specifications

  • A nimble maintenance staff

  • Autonomous maintenance 

  • Lower maintenance costs

Correct answer: Equipment operating within specifications

Even the slightest degradation in performance may mean the difference between a production line being able to meet a customer need or not. Thus, preventive maintenance has the aim of keeping equipment operating within normal specifications at all times. A well-trained and motivated maintenance staff is certainly a key ingredient to keeping equipment within specifications, as might be autonomous maintenance procedures. However, these are inputs that generate the desired outcome. Lower maintenance costs might inevitably result from a well performing TPM program, but this is not the intended goal to sustain an optimum Lean system.

163.

Peter is working to understand the distribution of various defects in Frisbees at his plant and is planning to run a chi-square test. What is one of his first preparatory tasks to complete to run this test?

  • Develop frequency histograms

  • Build a contingency table

  • Determine the tolerance intervals

  • Look up the Z-value

Correct answer: Develop frequency histograms

The chi-square test, also known as the goodness-of-fit test, is useful in determining whether a specific distribution fits another distribution of specified characteristics, such as historical distributions from factory or industry data. To make this test effective, Peter will have to develop a frequency histogram of k-class intervals to develop distributions of predicted versus observed defects. The advantage of this test is that it can be used for any distribution, versus ANOVA, which is specifically designed for normal distributions. 

Peter is not building a contingency table, which tests for the independence of test groups. Tolerance intervals specify upper and lower boundaries and would only apply after the test is completed. The Z-value will be determined later in the preparatory steps.

164.

Jake is called into the HR vice president's office and complimented for his work on the training requirements analysis for a new supply chain position. He was asked to develop the training plan. What is not a component of this plan?

  • Gap analysis

  • Statement of policy

  • Training budget

  • Operational plan

Correct answer: Gap analysis

Gap analysis is a tool that compares the current state of a system to a desired future state. A gap analysis may result in a training matrix being developed to identify specific skill sets that need to be developed to allow an organization to function effectively.

A statement of policy, a training budget, and an operation plan are all essential components of a training plan.

165.

Jane has installed and is testing a new optical sorter to detect off-color plastic chip coming from resin production. What is the classical name for this type of control?

  • Poka-Yoke

  •  Heijunka

  • Seiketsu

  • Futomaki

Correct answer: Poka-Yoke

A safeguard built into a system for mistake-proofing is known as Poka-Yoke. Heijunka is to level schedule either the volume or product type in a production line. Seiketsu is part of 5S (Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain) and is a means to standardize. Futomaki is a large and delicious sushi roll.

166.

Gemini is studying ways to reduce variation in a clock spring manufacturing unit, which is producing 200 springs a day with a specification of 2.7–2.8 inch-pounds of torque. The cost to scrap a spring is $5 per unit and the σ of the process is 0.037. She has found a way to improve the process variation to 0.025 and is lauded by the manufacturing manager for her achievement. Bert, the company finance manager, sees that the improvement will cost $100,000 and sends an email questioning the value of the improvement. Gemini replies to Bert, copying the manufacturing manager, on the time required to recoup the investment. How many days of production will be required before a positive return on investment is experienced?

  • 336 days

  • 436 days

  • 671 days

  • 250 days

Correct answer: 336 days. The Taguchi loss can be calculated using the equation: L = cσ2/d2, where:

L= unit loss (in $) due to variation

c = scrap cost

σ = standard deviation of the process

d  = tolerance/2

Solving the current state loss equation yields:

L = 5(0.037)2 / (0.05)2 = $2.74

The future state loss would be:

L = 5(0.025)2 / (0.05)2 = $1.25

The improvement is therefore $2.74 - $1.25 = $1.49 per unit

To calculate the break-even point, the following calculation is made:

Investment amount/loss improvement per day = $100,000/200*$1.49 = 336 days

167.

A multivariate analysis tool aimed at finding the most important factors is trying to identify:

  • The '80/20'

  • Factor analysis

  • Discriminant analysis

  • MANOVA

Correct answer: The '80/20'

These numbers represent the Pareto effect, which states that 20 percent of all factors are directly responsible for 80% of the observed effect. 

Factor analysis is used to determine the underlying factors responsible for correlations in the data. Discriminant analysis is used to classify observations into two or more groups. MANOVA, or multiple analysis of variance, is used to analyze both balanced and unbalanced experimental designs.

168.

Which of the following is not an appropriate consideration for determining an individual or team reward for project performance?

  • Absolute time spent on the project

  • Exceptional contribution

  • Validated project savings

  • Translatable solution set

Correct answer: Absolute time spent on the project

The amount of time spent may or may not have been spent in a manner that moved the project forward to a successful conclusion.

Contributions judged exceptional, validated project savings, and the development of a solution set that can be used more broadly are all distinct reward criteria.

169.

Maria is puzzling over how to get the factors she has discovered in her project's Analyze phase in treatments to highlight their impact on her project Y.  In what element of DOE is Maria working?

  • Experimental design

  • Design space

  • Experimental error

  • Experimental run

Correct answer: Experimental design

This critical part of DOE is the formal plan that details the specifics for conducting an experiment.

Design space is the multidimenational region of possible treatment combinations. Experimental error is the variation that occurs in the response variable that is accounted for by the factors. An experimental run is a single performance of the experiment for a specific set of treatment combinations.

170.

Jason's manufacturing director requests that he provide the most recent process performance number and capability evaluation for the director's monthly review meeting. Given the following numbers, what is the Pp and capability?

LSL = 5.5

USL = 15.5

CpL = 0.51

CpU = 0.49

σ = 3.34

  • Pp is 0.5 and the process is incapable of meeting customer specification limits.

  • Pp is 0.5 and the process is capable of meeting customer specification limits.

  • Pp is 1.0 and the process is incapable of meeting customer specification limits.

  • Pp is 1.0 and the process is capable of meeting customer specification limits.

Correct answer: Pp is 0.5 and the process is incapable of meeting customer specification limits. 

Pp is calculated by the equation, (USL - LSL)/6σ. Plugging in the provided values, we have: 15.5 - 5.5/6*3.34 = 0.5. Since we know that both CpL and CpU are both less than 1, we can infer that the process cannot meet the customer specification limits.

Both capability values would have to be 1 or greater for the process to be capable of meeting spec limits.

171.

Jenson, a senior commercial jet engine total preventive maintenance (TPM) quality specialist, has reviewed recent maintenance data for a new series of jet engines to establish a maintenance schedule to eliminate known and projected part failure frequency to meet government safety requirements. 

What type of maintenance should Jenson establish?

  • Reliability-based maintenance

  • Periodic maintenance

  • Condition-based maintenance

  • Failure mode-based maintenance

Correct answer: Reliability-based maintenance

This type of maintenance is based on reliability data and is especially useful in situations where a failure would be very costly. Such is the case for aircraft engines, which seek to reduce the possibility of failure to an absolute minimum, if not zero. 

Periodic maintenance is based on the expected lifetime of a component. For example, one would look at how long a light bulb typically lasts before requiring replacement. Condition-based maintenance is based on the operating conditions, which place a part in a unique environment of stresses. Failure mode-based maintenance is otherwise referred to as "break-fix" and has no place in TPM.

172.

From the choices below, identify the Lean Six Sigma project.

  • Jennifer holds a Kaizen event over three days so the improvement team can digest output from analytical models of a new production process and design the equipment footprint to be constructed on the factory floor.

  • Vijay conducts a 5S exercise with his warehousing management team to develop a new layout for incoming shipments.

  • Chef Quanzoo holds a Kaizen blitz over one day with his senior staff to upgrade the restaurant menu.

  • Douglas generates a value stream map of his company's aluminum can production process to increase this unit's takt time.  

Correct answer: Jennifer holds a Kaizen event over three days so the improvement team can digest output from analytical models of a new production process and design the equipment footprint to be constructed on the factory floor. 

Jennifer is merging a lean tool (Kaizen) within her DMADV (Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, and Verify) Six Sigma project to address DOE (Design of Experiments) output in the Analyze phase of her project within the Design phase of her project. Vijay's 5S project, Chef Quanzoo's menu project, and Douglas' VSM work are all solid Lean projects with no obvious inclusion of Six Sigma methodology.

173.

NASA’s Mars Climate Orbiter burned up in the Martian atmosphere in 2010. A NASA review board subsequently found that the problem was in the software controlling the orbiter’s thrusters. The software calculated the force that the thrusters needed to exert in pounds of force, rather than in Newtons per square meter. What type of FMEA, had it been properly conducted, was most likely to have caught such an error?  Why?

  • Systems FMEA

  • Process FMEA

  • Design FMEA

  • Service FMEA

Correct answer: Systems FMEA

This action focuses on minimizing costs and failure effects on the system while maximizing system reliability and maintainability. Had the engineers drawn out a complete and thorough map of each calculation step in the software and socialized it across the entire project team, including NASA JPL and its contractors, they likely would have discovered that the computer calculations were based on English units.

A process FMEA would have looked at the overall mission sequence and would not have delved into the software calculations.  This is also true for design and systems FMEAs. 

174.

What is the name of the probability distribution which is described, in part, by the mean, λ?

  • Poisson

  • Normal

  • Binomial

  • Chi-square

Correct answer: Poisson

The poisson distribution is described in part by the mean, λ, which is the shape parameter, and represents the average number of events in a given time interval.

Means for the normal, binomial, and chi-square distributions are described by other statistical parameters.

175.

Jagdish, a quality engineer Black Belt, is assessing a color quality system that either accepts or rejects finished products, based on a programmed standard. He needs to understand the bias of the automated color measurement system to ensure the factory isn't discarding perfectly good finished product. What would be the best analysis from the choices below?

  • Attribute gage analysis

  • Attribute agreement analysis

  • Control chart

  • ANOVA

Correct answer: Attribute gage analysis

Jagdish is working with machine-generated ordinal data based on comparison to a standard. Therefore, attribute analysis is appropriate. Furthermore, his best choice is attribute gage analysis, which is designed to provide insights into instrument bias and repeatability.

An attribute agreement analysis is designed to reveal between and within-appraiser variation, which is not the circumstance here. Control charts are used when there is a need to understand the discriminating power of a measuring instrument, and how upper and lower control limits correspond to the ability (or inability) of the instrument to tell one piece from another. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is best used where the amount of variability induced in measurements by the measurement system itself is of interest.  

176.

The equation: P(A U B) = P(A) + P(B) expresses what general rule of probability law?

  • Probabilities within a population universe are additive.

  • Dependent probabilities are additive.

  • Probabilities are complementary.

  • The probability of A is 0.5.

Correct answer: Probabilities within a population universe are additive.

The probabilities of independent events are additive.

Dependent events that interact with each other may coexist in numerous modes and are not additive. The equation specifically expresses the additive nature of probabilities, not the complementary nature. The probability sum of A + B will add to one. However, this does not mean that A must be 0.5.

177.

Kruger has mapped the treatment responses of four factors onto his 8K 3D graphical viewer to understand the physical interactions of the variables. What has Kruger mapped?

  • The design space

  • A treatment

  • An experimental design

  • An experimental run

Correct answer: The design space

The design space is the multidimensional region of possible treatment combinations formed by selected factors. 

A treatment is a specific setting or combination of factor levels. An experimental design is a formal design that details the specifics of experimenting. An experimental run is a single performance of the experimental design. 

178.

Choose the correct data classification for the following data set: automotive tire outside diameter in millimeters.

  • Numerical, Continuous

  • Attribute, Ordinal

  • Numerical, Discreet

  • Attribute, Nominal

Correct answer: Numerical, Continuous

Numerical data can be measured, verified, and manipulated, such as tire data. Continuous data are measurements on a continuous scale, such as temperature, weight, and length, such as tire data.  

Data that relies on descriptive or observation-based information is qualitative, or attribute data, which is not the case in this instance. For the data to be ordinal, there must be a ranking among tires. However, no ranking exists. Discreet data only exists when there is only a finite number of integers with which to classify the data, which does not exist in this case. Nominal data requires data to be put into categories, which doesn't exist in this case.

179.

Joseph, a business technology manager, is unsure that the production development team has fully captured all instances of failure in the new catalyst production procedure. He instructs the team to document more thoroughly the tolerance conditions of pressure and temperature in the catalytic converter before he signs off on the procedure. 

What DFX methodology should be employed in this situation?

  • Design for Producibility (DFP)

  • Design for Maintainability (DFM)

  • Design to Cost (DTC)

  • Design for Test (DFT)

Correct answer: Design for Producibility (DFP)

Designing this product for producibility, in this case, requires the team to understand production failure modes as thoroughly as possible, to avoid process upsets and potentially costly equipment shut-downs. 

DFM, DTC, and DFT are subordinate considerations in this circumstance. 

180.

In strategic planning, which activity is not essential:

  • Hold a middle management stakeholder meeting to develop critical-to-quality measures

  • Develop a current state of understanding of the business environment

  • Envision ideal future state business outcomes

  • Develop the roadmap to the future state

Correct answer: Hold a middle management stakeholder meeting to develop critical-to-quality measures. 

This is an important meeting. However, middle management is generally tasked with identifying critical-to-quality actions and measures subsequent to the development of the strategic plan.

The other choices, including developing a current state of understanding of the environment, envisioning ideal future state business outcomes, and developing the future state road-map, are all essential activities in strategic planning.

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